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Tuesday, March 13, 2012

My Next Big Adventure

I am very excited to be starting a new adventure. This one was too hard to resist.

A few weeks ago I did a short post on the Fairbanks House in Dedham, Massachusetts. The Fairbanks house has the unique distinction of being the oldest timber frame house in the United States. Imagine how a house historian would feel living within a half hour of the oldest house in America!

I finally realized I was missing an incredible opportunity. I felt this house could have a lot to teach me about history, architecture, research and how people value historic houses.

This Spring I signed up to be a docent for the 2012 open season. The program is run by curator Meaghan Siekman and the training started in February. During the training sessions I will learn about the family, the house's place in history as well as details about architecture and museum pieces.

I am both excited and terrified at the same time. I am really excited to be able to learn about the house and view it on a regular basis. When I work with private clients I typically only get to see a house a few times. Now I will be able to learn and observe on a weekly basis. I am also excited to work with tour groups. I love meeting people and I'm sure I will learn a lot from the many people who will come through the house. Undoubtedly they will include Fairbanks descendants, historic house lovers and hopefully some archaeologists, historians and architectural historians as well. I hope I will be able to learn from them just as they are learning from me.

I am slightly terrified, however, at the thought of trying to remember 8 generations of Fairbanks family history. On top of that I will need to know architectural details and information about the museum pieces. But my excitement is greater than my fear and I can't wait until the house opens and the tours start in May.

If you're coming to Massachusetts in 2012 put the Fairbanks House on your list. You just may have me as your tour guide!

You will have fun!! I was a docent when I lived in Charleston for the Nathaniel Russell House and loved it! It was fun to interact with the tourists since most folks who take the tours actually LIKE history and aren't forced to do so (few exceptions of course!!).

I'm excited for you, Marian! I was a docent at an historic home in New Orleans for several years and loved it. It was also the home of my paternal ancestors which made it extra special to me.

I can certainly relate to your fear about having to remember so much. Before I gave my first tour, I taped myself giving the talk, went over and over it, refining it along the way. When the day came to solo, I felt better prepared. As it turned out, I only used the beginning of my "practice" talk then felt comfortable enough to ad lib.

That's wonderful. You will do great. You are an excellent speaker and if anything can help spur a great memory for detail, it is juggling all these ancestors around in our heads. I feel it's probably better than sudoku and crosswords for keeping our minds active. Enjoy!

Many congratulations NE House Historian. I only discovered the Historic New England Houses on my holiday in Maine last year. I so enjoyed the tours which really gave an insight into the homes and their former inhabitants. I will need to check whether Fairbanks House is on near my itinerary this September. One disappointment is that so many have very limited opening days.

Fieldstone Common

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Marian Pierre-Louis is a house historian who specializes in the historic homes of New England. She frequently lectures and writes about house histories throughout New England. Email Marian with your house history questions. For a schedule of her upcoming talks or to learn more about her work please visit her website.

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About Me

Host of Fieldstone Common, a podcast dedicated to sharing the passion for Northeastern history. Also host of The Genealogy Professional podcast where transitional and professional genealogists get tips from other genealogists about improving their business.

The rest of the time I dive deep into social media and content marketing with a strong focus on new media.